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Toledo suspends 3, including 2 starters

TOLEDO, OH - OCTOBER 17: Defensive tackle Marquise Moore #52 of the Toledo Rockets during the game against the Eastern Michigan Eagles at Glass Bowl on October 17, 2015 in Toledo, Ohio. (Photo by Andrew Weber/Getty Images)
Toledo defensive tackle Marquise Moore. (Photo by Andrew Weber/Getty Images)

Toledo will be without three defensive players for the first two games of the upcoming season.

The program confirmed Tuesday that defensive tackle Marquise Moore and linebackers Jaylen Coleman and Anthony Davis will miss the Rockets’ games against Sun Belt champions Arkansas State and FCS Maine (3-8 in 2015). New head coach Jason Candle told the Toledo Blade the suspensions are for “violations of athletic department policy.”

Both Coleman, a senior, and Moore, a redshirt junior, are projected starters for the Toledo defense.

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Coleman started for the Rockets in 2015 before breaking his leg during the sixth game of the season, forcing him to miss the rest of the season. Before going down with the injury, Coleman was leading the team with 48 tackles. He also had 2.5 tackles for loss, a forced fumble and an interception. He played in a combined 17 games in 2013 and 2014, combining for 20 tackles as a reserve.

Moore played in 12 games and started nine as a true freshman in 2013, totaling 28 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. He played in two games in 2014, but missed most of the season with an injury and received a medical hardship. He returned in 2015 and collected four tackles in 12 games as a reserve.

Davis, a sophomore, had three tackles in four games in 2015. According to his bio on Toledo’s website, he was listed “as No. 4 at linebacker” on the preseason depth chart.

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Toledo went 10-2 with Matt Campbell at the helm in 2015. After Campbell left to accept the head-coaching job at Iowa State, Toledo promoted Candle from offensive coordinator to head coach.

For more Toledo news, visit TheRocketNation.com.

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Sam Cooper is a writer for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!